Unit 7 Reflection

This unit was in general about the Muscular System. We learned about the properties of muscle tissue, muscle function and classification, muscle names and basic anatomy, muscle contraction, directional terms and joint movements, performance enhancements, and muscle twitch. The essential understandings are basic anatomy of major muscles, skeletal muscles work in opposing pairs to produce varying types of movement, muscle contraction steps, and humans often use substances to boost performance.
We started off learning about the muscle functions, which were movement of bones or fluids, maintaining posture and body position, stabilizing joints, and heat generation. The properties of muscle tissue are excitability (ability to receive and respond to stimuli), contractibility (ability to shorten when stimulated), extensibility (ability to be stretched), and elasticity (ability to recoil to resting length). Origin is the immovable end of the muscle while insertion is the movable end of muscle . Each muscle is composed to many bundles of muscle fibers. Each muscle fiber is an individual cell that contains many myofibrils. Each sarcomere is composed of 2 protein filaments, called actin and myosin. The steps of contraction are very complex, but in short, the muscle contraction is triggered by electrical impulse and the sarcoplasmic reticulum releases calcium causing contraction. We learned about directional terms also such as flexion and abduction. We learned about all the different types of muscles like masseter and temporalis.
Anabolic steroids are used to boost athletic performance, build muscle, and increase body mass. In my previous blog post, I had to make an Anabolic Steroid Advertisement (Link of Advertisement blog post). To make the muscle contraction steps easier, we made a skit with our table group (Muscle Contraction Skit) Below is a picture that I used when I was studying the different steps. I find it very useful.

To help us learn the different muscles, we did a chicken dissection lab. Displayed below is a picture of the different muscles.

I want to learn more about the different performance enhancing substances and their affects on the body. I don't really understand what doping is and I wonder about why there are so many myths about performance enhancements.
I think I have grown tremendously this year. I am better at writing in my blog and have more experience with the website. I have learned a lot about my 20 Time project, like becoming more aware of the world outside Saratoga. (20 Time Blog Post).
My new years goal was to stop procrastinating. I have gotten better at that, but some classes, I still procrastinate doing all my work. I am focusing more in class, which is great! (New Years Goals)

Raising Money for Pencils of Promise

My topic was to raise money for an organization called Pencils of Promise, which provides an education for students in poorer areas. I slightly modified my topic because instead of selling bracelets, I am going to be selling charms/key chains made out of rubber bands. I decided to do this instead because as a kid, I used to be obsessed with making charms out of rubber bands, so it won't be hard to make it. So far, I have made a couple heart charms. I plan on selling the charms all at once so it will be easier for me.

I have learned that raising money for an organization can be tough because it requires a lot of effort. I haven't figured out how much I am going to sell everything yet. I have learned that I really want to help people in poorer countries get an education and I am really interested in helping people live a better life overall. 

I did have a setback, making the bracelets, but I fixed that problem by changing my method of raising money to making charms out of rubber bands, which I have had a lot of experience with.

The next step in my process is to just continue to make new products and eventually sell them. I don't know if I can sell them at school, so I am still trying to figure out where, how much, and how I am going to sell them.

I have learned that a lot of people in the world are not as fortunate as us. I feel like in Saratoga, we live in a bubble and a lot of people are not aware of all the other stuff that is happening in the world. I feel that raising money for Pencils of Promise will not only make other students more aware of the situation in other countries, but it will also help me understand it. 

Pictures of some charms made so far:

Performance Enhancements Advertisement: Anabolic Steroids

Performance Enhancing Substance means a manufactured produce for oral ingestion, intranasal application or inhalation containing compounds that contain a stimulant, amino acid, hormone precursor herb or other botanical or any other substance other than an essential vitamin or mineral. They are intended to increase athletic performance, promote muscle growth, induce weight loss or increase an individuals endurance or capacity for exercise.
Specifically, anabolic steroids are used to increase muscle mass and strength. They increase protein within the cells. They were first made in 1930 and now are used to stimulate muscle growth and appetite. However, anabolic steroids are really bad for one's health. It causes more acne, high blood pressure, liver damage, harmful changes in cholesterol levels, and baldness. Mostly all performing enhancing substances are harmful. Steroids are harmful because they can damage a person's mental and physical health. Anabolic steroids come with serious side effects as well.
In this advertisement, we put in small font the side effects because we wanted to imitate what commercials of medicine do in real life. We put a picture of a bald person and a person with acne to show the side effects in a positive way since its an advertisement (bald person is smiling). We also put pictures of a strong man. However, steroids in high dosages should never be used because they can really ruin a person's health for the rest of their life.

Chicken Muscle Dissection Lab Analysis

In this lab, each group dissected a chicken and identified major muscles such as the deltoid, the triceps humeralis, and biceps brachii. To make sure we identified all the muscles, we were told to take pictures and label each of the muscles, so we can make sure we identified the muscles correctly and this will help us learn more about the different muscles and characteristics. I learned where all the major muscles are and where they are located on a chicken. We went over the muscles in our lectures, so most of our group knew in general about where each of the muscles were. The lecture helped us greatly for this lab. 

Muscles, bones, and tendons play a huge role in movement. Tendons (muscles attached to bones) are flexible chords of strong fibrous collagen tissue. Bones tissue is a type of dense connective tissue, and the bone protects and supports many vital organs in the body. Muscles are the ones that are used like levers in machines and the muscle supports the muscle so it is able to do it. For example, the shoulder joint is joined with the biceps together by a tendon. Also, the biceps and the radius/ulna are joined by a tendon. Therefore, muscles, bones, and tendons are needed to allow the body to move.

The picture on the left shows the origin or biceps, the tendon, and the insertion of biceps (radius). Basically, the origin is the fixed attachment while the insertion moves with contraction. For example, for the muscle biceps brachii, the origin is the caracoled process, the insertion is the radius, and the action is that it flexes the antebrachium. Another example is the triceps brachii, where the origin is the humerus, the insertion is the olecranon, and action is that it extends the antebrachium.

Chickens and humans both have the same types of tissues: epithelial tissue, muscle tissue, and connective tissue. Chickens have the same types of muscles as humans, such as the forearm, triceps, and biceps. Chickens also have similar bone structure, like the shoulder joint, which lets the chicken move its wings. The differences are that chickens can't move their metacarpals, while humans can. The biceps brachia is smaller in chickens and bigger in humans, but they both help with the flexion of the arms. The muscles in humans are so much smaller in chickens than in humans. 

The sartorius is the longest muscle in the human body. The muscle helps flex, adduct, and rotate the hip. Functionally, the iliotibial tract extends the tensor fascia latae muscle into the lower thigh and leg, allowing it to function as an abductor

Biceps Fermoris performs knee flexion
The quadriceps femurs stabilize the patella (knee cap) and knee joint

The Deltoid is involved in arm abduction along the frontal plane
The Triceps humeralis can fixate the elbow joint.
Biceps Brachii helps control the movement of the shoulder and elbow

Brachioradialis flexes the forearm at the elbow.
Flexor Carpi Ulnaris is involved with flexor and ulnar deviation of the wrist.

Quadriceps Femoris is a group of muscles located in the front of the thigh.

Both the Semimbranosus and Semitendinosus flex the leg and extend the thigh.

Gastrocnemius is involved with plantar flexing the foot at the ankle join and flexing the left at the knee joint.
The peroneus longus everts and plantar flexes the foot.
The Tibialis Anterior movements are dorsiflexion and inversion of the ankle 

The Latissimus Dorsi is involved with extension and adduction
Trapezius extends the scapulae and supports the arm.

2nd Blog Post: 20 Time

Title: Raising Money for a Great Cause

The purpose of my 20 Time project was to sell bracelets and necklaces that I make from scratch; all the money that I make will be donated to an organization called Pencils of Promise, which basically helps fund scholarships, trains teaches, and builds schools. I have learned  that a lot of people don't donate to this organization because since it was founded in 2008, so not that many people have heard of it. I hope to bring awareness of this organization because I believe education is important. I have learned that I am not very good at making crafts because I have attempted to make two bracelets so far (tutorials on youtube) and none of them have worked. For example, one of the necklaces I tried to make was a pendant out of a hot glue gun, but It didn't work. I am going to attempt again over the weekend. My setbacks were actually making the bracelets because it isn't that easy. I plan to handle them by trying harder and hopefully, I keep learning from each mistake I make. The next steps in my process is to try to hopefully make at least 10 items and sell them to people I know. I can apply what I have learned to the community and school by raising awareness for the important of donating to Pencils of Promise. 

What Happens when You Stretch

3 Important Quotes and Explanations:

1. "As the sarcomere contracts, the area of overlap between the thick and thin myofilaments. As it stretches, this area of overlap decreases, allowing the muscle fiber to elongate."
-I find this quote interesting because we learned a lot about muscle contraction in class, where the myosin and actin filaments overlap each other and the sarcomere shortens. However, when you stretch a muscle the process is different because the area of overlap decreases and the muscle fiber length increases.

2. "When you stretch your calf, you want to contract the shin muscles by flexing your foot. However, the hamstrings use the calf as a synergist so you want to relax the hamstrings by contracting the quadricep."
-I find this quote interesting because before tennis, I always stretch my calf, but sometimes I don't do it properly. This quote helps me understand the proper ways to stretch your calf to get an effective result.

3. "One of the reasons for holding a stretch for a prolonged period of time is that as you hold the muscle in a stretched position, the muscle spindle habituates (becomes accustomed to the new length) and reduces its signaling. Gradually, you can train your stretch receptors to allow greater lengthening of the muscles."
-I find this quote interesting because as holding your stretch for a long period of time can actually help train your stretch receptors to allow you to allow greater lengthening of muscles in the future.

Relate and Review:
The article was about the different things that happen in the body when someone stretches a muscle. I learned that the sarcomere contracts during muscle contraction, which allows the actin and myosin filaments to overlap each other. I learned that as you stretch, the area of overlap decreases and muscle fiber elongates. I also learned what proprioception is: the perception of one's own body position and movement. There are two kinds of muscle fibers: intrafusal muscle fibers and extrafusal muscle fibers. Also, when muscles contract, they produce tension at the point where the muscle is connected to the tendon. Lastly, I learned that it is easier to stretch a muscle that is relaxed than to stretch a muscle that is contracting. This article relates back to my life because I stretch all the time before sports and I never knew what actually occurs in the body when you stretch. I never knew that if you hold your stretch for a prolonged time, it can train your stretch receptors to allow greater lengthening of the muscles.